This is a Bible study on Exodus 18:1-12.

6 pages.

Exodus 18:1-12 - What Awaits You at the End of Life’s Road?

Read Exodus 18:1-12.

Introduction🔗

Fog has followed the vacationers for days, enveloping their little rented Opal as they travel along the narrow, winding roads of southern Germany’s Bodensee. The mist is thick and depressing, and they find it hard to muster much enthusiasm for the trip to Bavaria. They ride for several hours in a gray, monotonous fog; the only realization that they are beginning to climb into the Bavarian mountains is the whine of the engine that causes them to downshift into a lower gear.

As they continue to climb, they are suddenly flooded with the warm rays of the golden sun. They have emerged out of the fog and now find themselves in the crystal-clear mountain top environment. They find themselves in an ancient hilltop village with gray cobblestone streets and white church spires that tower into the blue sky, and there is not a trace of fog. They have entered into sunshine, and worship. It is Sunday, and through the streets come the worshipers; first the clergy in flowing white robes, followed by the choir in purple and gold, and then come the villagers marching to the toll of the bells.1

What these summer vacationers experienced in their journey to the top of the Bavarian Alps, their journey through thick and depressing fog into brilliant sunshine and worship, well illustrates what awaits the Christian at the end of life’s road. The experience of Old Testament Israel, as recorded in Exodus 18, is also the Christian’s hope. Because the LORD is faithful to His promise, you can be assured that as a Christian, your life will reach a glorious consummation “at the Mountain of God.”

Be Assured that What Awaits You is A Reunion with Christian Loved Ones🔗

Word reaches Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, concerning all that God has done on behalf of Moses and His people (18:1). The mighty works of God were not done in secret; indeed, they would be broadcast throughout the ancient world and down the corridors of time. Witness Rahab’s testimony to the two spies at the time Israel invaded the Promised Land of Canaan: “We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt” (Josh. 2:10). Or again, witness the consternation of the Philistines in the days of Samuel, “Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues.” (1 Sam. 4:8).

Upon hearing the report of Israel’s deliverance and the fact that Israel is now encamped at “the Mount of God,” Jethro departs from Midian to greet Moses. He does not go alone. Jethro brings with him Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and Moses’ two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (vs. 5). There, at the Mount of God, they meet again in a most joyful reunion!

Christian, here is displayed before you one of the great joys of heaven: reunion with loved ones who have died in Christ. Listen to the tragic prayer of the pagan, (as quoted in a missionary newsletter),

My father: Who died many years ago and entered the realm of spirits, I come to you with a pot of beer. To you I pray, you who have gone before me into the land of darkness. That land from where there is no return. That awful land towards which I, too, am traveling.

In contrast to that tragic prayer, there is a glorious hope offered to the Christian in the Word of God:

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep [in death], or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him... 16the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore, comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:13-14, 16-18

The calling of God separated Moses from his home life in the pastures of Midian. He was called to pack up the family, leave their home, and face the challenges that awaited them in Egypt. Sometimes the call of God may cause a Christian to leave behind home and family, sometimes even his native land. There is a real price to be paid, both by those who are called to go, and by those who must remain behind. But there is also a real privilege. Christian father and mother, you are being called to be like the heavenly Father who was willing to send His Son. Christian son or daughter, you are being called to be like the one and only Son who was willing to leave His heavenly home. Sooner or later the call of God causes Christian men and women to leave behind family, home, and this present world, to enter the Father’s eternal home in glory, the place prepared for us by our Lord Jesus Christ,

1Do not let your heart be troubled; trust in God, trust in me also. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going to prepare a place for you. 3And if Igo and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me; so that where I am, you may be also. Jn. 14:1-3

The calling of God separated Moses from his family; for their own safety, he sent Zipporah and his sons back to Midian. Faithful obedience to Christ in the midst of a world at enmity against God sometimes involves heart-wrenching separation from loved ones. Consider, for example, Christians around the world who are imprisoned for their commitment to Christ. The name Moses gave his first­born son reveals the agony he experienced in his soul, “Gershom" means “stranger” or “sojourner.” But, note also, the protective care and presence of the LORD our God, to which Moses testifies when he named his other son, "Eliezer,” which means “God is my Help.”

But now, here come Jethro and Zipporah and Gershom and Eliezer; they are all re-united at the Mount of God. Note that Jethro, Moses, and the elders of Israel together will eat a meal in the presence of God: “Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifice to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God” (Ex. 18:12). Here, again, is a foretaste of the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to His disciples on the evening of the first communion supper: “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29).

Christian, be assured that what awaits you is a reunion with Christian loved ones in the presence of God.

Be Assured that What Awaits You is the Joy of the LORD🔗

Jethro has heard of the mighty works of God, but now he receives a first-hand report: “Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had encountered along the way and how the LORD had delivered them” (vs. 8).

Although Moses faithfully related to his father-in-law both the triumphs of the LORD as well as the trials experienced in the wilderness, notice Jethro’s response: “Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD had done for Israel in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians” (vs. 9). Notice that Jethro omits any reference to the hardships and trials.

Did Moses down play the trials experienced in the wilderness? Did Jethro simply overlook them? No. Moses reported to his father-in-law "all the hardships they had encountered along the way and how the LORD had delivered them.”

Standing at the Mount of God, Moses and Jethro could look back and see how all the works of God worked together to finally produce a glorious result. Jethro was led to rejoice for all the goodness of the LORD, not because he didn’t have the whole story or because he intentionally overlooked parts of it, but precisely because he now witnessed the complete and finished result. What the Apostle Paul assets with confidence in Romans 8:28, “we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, those who have been called according to his purpose,” Jethro actually was made to see; and, therefore, he was led to rejoice in all the goodness of the LORD.

Christian, be assured that what awaits you is the joy of the LORD. What awaits you is the joy of experiencing the consummation of God’s great work, being part of the finished work of redemption and participating in the new creation. What awaits you is the joy of deliverance into perfect peace and rest, the experience of what the Lord Jesus promises in John 16:21-22 (printed below) and what the Apostle John was permitted to witness (as he records it in Revelation 21:3b-4),

21When a woman gives birth to a child she has pain, because her hour of delivery has come. But when the child is delivered, she no longer remembers the anguish; because of the joy that a child has been brought into the world. 22So it is that you will now have grief; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. Jn. 16:21-22

3bThe tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. They shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither shall there be any mourning or crying or pain anymore; the old order of things has passed away. Rev. 21:3b-4

What awaits you is the joy of the LORD Himself:

11You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore.Psl. 16:11

4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Psl. 43:4

21His lord said to him, Enter into the joy of your lord. Matt. 25:21

Be Assured that What Awaits You is a Full Measure of Understanding🔗

Jethro testifies: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods” (vs. 11a). Prior to this time, Jethro no doubt believed this to be true and accepted it as a God-given truth; but now he can testify that he knows this to be true.

Jethro testifies: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods; indeed, this has been proven by his response to those who treated Israel arrogantly” (vs. 11). The LORD irrefutably demonstrated the truth that He and He alone is God when He exerted His great power and acted both to redeem His people and to conquer His enemies. When the LORD acts, then what is accepted by faith becomes known by experience.

Christian, be assured that what awaits you at the end of life’s road is a full measure of understanding. What awaits you is a satisfying and sufficient understanding of the mysteries of God:

9...at present, our knowledge is partial and our prophesying is only a partial [communication of future things]. 10But when the perfect has come, the partial shall pass away... 12At present, we see an obscure image in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. At present, I know things partially; but then I will know fully, just as I am fully known. 1 Cor. 13:9-10, 12

What awaits you is an understanding of the judgments of God. By way of example, consider the word the LORD addressed to the prophet Ezekiel at the time the LORD executed His righteous judgment against unrepentant Israel:

22...when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem. 23You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without just cause, declares the Lord GOD. Ezek. 14:22-23

As noted, here is a reference to the judgment the LORD brought upon Judah for their sins; when Ezekiel has full knowledge of the situation he will understand that the LORD’s judgment was a righteous and just act.

What awaits you is an understanding of our relationship with the Lord our God, by means of the full experience of that wonderful relationship:

20On that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Jn. 14:20

Jesus is referring to the day of the resurrection and His return at the end of the age; at that time, we will know by the full experience of it what it means to be found in Christ and be united to Him in His life.

We should also take note of 1 Corinthians 13:13, a passage in which the Apostle Paul presents three abiding (eternal) spiritual attributes (vs. 13):

  • The first of these is “faith.” “Faith” is here used in the sense of confident, child-like dependence; we shall have faith in God our Father for all of eternity, indeed, we shall come to trust Him completely and perfectly.
     
  • The second is “hope.” “Hope” is here used in the sense of confident expectation; we shall always anticipate and receive more new blessings from our God and Father who is the infinite Creator, whose “greatness is unsearchable” (Psl. 145:3).
     
  • The third is “love.” This is the greatest of these three spiritual attributes because it is the ultimate expression and the very essence of God’s divine nature: “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16b).

Conclusion🔗

The experience of Old Testament Israel and Jethro, as recorded in Exodus 18, is also a foretaste of the Christian’s hope.

As a Christian, this is what awaits you at the end of life’s road:

  • a reunion with Christian loved ones
  • the joy of the LORD in unlimited abundance; and, as much as is humanly possible
  • a full measure of understanding concerning spiritual things, as much as finite man can comprehend of the work and wisdom of the infinite God

Because the LORD is faithful to His promise, be assured that your Christian life will reach a glorious consummation “at the Mount of God.”

Discussion Questions🔗

1. What office did Jethro hold? See Ex. 18:1a Based on Exodus 18:10, was Jethro a pagan priest, or a priest who served the living God? Jethro was distinct from the nation of Israel, yet he had a true and saving relationship with the LORD. Do we acknowledge Christians who are not of our fellowship or denomination as true brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus? Note Lk. 9:49-50.

1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. Ex. 18:1

10Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians! Ex. 18:10

49Then John answered and said, Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us. 50But Jesus said to him, Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us. Lk. 9:49-50

2. Does this mean that anyone and everyone who claims to be a Christian is a true believer and disciple of Christ? In distinction to the many false gospels, what is the true biblical gospel, which a man must profess if he is to be counted as a true believer in Christ and thus a true Christian brother? See Matt. 16:15-16 and 1 Cor. 15:3-4 Do you profess such faith in Christ?

15[Jesus] said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.Matt. 16:15-16

3I delivered to you as of first importance that which I also received, [namely,] that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 4and that he was buried; and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures... 1 Cor. 15:3-4

3. What report has reached Jethro, even in the wilderness of Midian? See Ex. 18:1 What commission has the Lord Jesus given to His church? See Matt. 28:19-20 What part can you have in the spread of the gospel today? Note Jn. 4:28-29 Eph. 6:19; Isa. 6:8.

1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. Ex. 18:1

19Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you... Matt. 28:19-20

28Leaving behind her water jar, the [Samaritan] woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29Come, meet a man who told me everything that I ever did! Can this be the Christ? Jn. 4:28-29

19Also [pray] for me, that words may be given to me, [together] with boldness, whenever I open my mouth to make known the mystery of the gospel... Eph. 6:19

8Then I heard the voice of the Lord inquiring, Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And I said, Here am I, send me.Isa. 6:8

4. What blessed reunion is described in Exodus 18:5-6? Where does this reunion take place? What blessed reunion is promised to the Christian and his loved ones who have died as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ? See 1 Thess. 4:13-14, 16-18.

5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and his wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped by the mountain of God. 6He had sent word to Moses, saying, I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons. Ex. 18:5-6

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep [in death], or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him... 16the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore, comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:13-14, 16-18

5. What does Moses tell Jethro? See Ex. 18:8 In responding to Moses’s report, what does Jethro appear to omit? See Ex. 18:9 What accounts for this “omission”? Does Jethro just focus on the positive, or has he seen the final outcome and ultimate result of God’s mighty work? Note Rom. 8:28 At present, we must accept the truth of Romans 8:28 by faith, but when will we see it from the same perspective as Jethro? See 1 Cor. 13:12.

8Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had encountered along the way and how the LORD had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the LORD had done for Israel in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. Ex. 18:8-9

28And we know that to them that love God, all things work together for good, to them that are called according to his purpose. Rom. 8:28

12At present, we see an obscure image in a mirror, but then [we will see] face to face. At present, I know [things] partially; but then I will know fully, just as I am fully known. 1 Cor. 13:12

Add new comment

(If you're a human, don't change the following field)
Your first name.
(If you're a human, don't change the following field)
Your first name.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.